I started off with peaches as a theme, and then I harvested watermelon.  And then…oh my.  Isn’t it just too cute?  Maybe it’s just me.  Anyhow.

So it was a busy week!  I posted on Back-to- School G-free style, and my Daring Baker semi success on Petit Fours, too.  And Ricki adopted me, and made my Thai Style Summer Rolls.  Check out the round-up, hosted by Shirley of Gluten-free Easily (GFE)

Onward and upwards!

Monday:

Salsamole and herby almond crackers

Tuesday:
Coconut curry with roasted cauliflower

Wed:
Grilled salmon with garlic-y broccoli

Thursday:
Chicken Curry, maybe with kale?

Friday:
Leftovers…yahoo.

Fun stuff:
Blueberry jam
Shirley’s Blueberry Pie, most likely as a blueberry peach version

And everyone else?

Watermelon doesn’t grow well in England, apparently. But Esther of Lilac Kitchen has a recipe for peach black bean salsa , which really sounds fantastic.

Michelle, formerly of Cooking and Uncooking has a new blog, Gluten Free: A Reason 2 Smile. She’s been making her way through Carol Fenster’s new cookbook and so she’s sure to have a tasty week.

Heather, of Celiac Family has a fun week planned. She’s making egg rolls, maybe even GF fortune cookies (sounds amazing!). And her family loves watermelon straight or in kabobs. Can’t go wrong either way!

Kim, of Gluten-free is Life has a menu post up, too.  She’s busy with back to school, of course, and she has a great round up of new foods out ’round the web.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Gluten-free Breakfasts

By Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD

With back-to-school right around the corner, it’s time to think about breakfasts.  We’ve all heard it—breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and gets us off to a good start.  We need energy to study, work, and play!  Many studies have shown improvements in concentration and learning for children who eat breakfast, and starting the day with a healthy breakfast helps adults, too.  As a dietitian, I look for breakfasts that are high in fiber, have some protein, and contain limited sugar.  There are great options from both the regular grocery store and specialty products.

Some mainstream breakfast options are naturally gluten-free, like most kinds of Chex (not wheat Chex, of course!), most kinds of yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit, even plain grits!  Sprinkle in a spoon or two of ground flax seed to get in a little extra fiber.  Or, get creative with eggs: scrambled eggs, omelets, huevos rancheros, or even hard-boiled for an inexpensive, high protein on-the-go breakfast.   Smoothies are also a great way to get in some additional fruit in your diet, and most kids enjoy them, too.  Many kinds of breakfast meats, like sausage or bacon are also gluten-free.

As far as cold cereals go, nutritionally, Crunchy Flax, Whole O’s and Mesa Sunrise are among the best options because all are great sources of whole grains and fiber. And, of course, there are more and more gluten-free versions of the typical standards. EnviroKidz has some for children of all ages, like Gorilla Munch and Koala Kids, and these are in most local supermarkets.  And, of course, more stores sell gluten-free bagels, muffins, scones, or other sweet breakfast treats.

Looking ahead to chilly mornings, hot cereals are a great way to start the day with fiber and whole grains.  Most gluten-free grains cook up nicely as hot cereals. My personal favorite is millet, but kasha (buckwheat), quinoa flakes, amaranth, teff, etc. work well, too.  It’s easy to make a big pot and have them all week long.  Bob’s Red Mill has a few nice options, like Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. Don’t forget about certified gluten-free oatmeal, which can be found at specialty stores or online.

You can also think beyond usual breakfast foods for a change of pace.  Soups or any kind of leftovers work well, and you’re only limited by your imagination!

Back-to-School Resources from Around the Web

American Celiac Disease Alliance has a fabulous section on back-to-school, with sample menus, doctor’s letters, info on 504 plans and more.

Celiac About.com has a really nice compilation on back-to-school tips.

Celiac Sprue Association has a detailed section on back-to-school with tips for parents, teachers, students and more.

Classes:

Living and Loving a Gluten-Free Diet

Saturday, Oct 16th, 2010
11:00-12:30

•    Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the importance of proper testing
•    All you ever wanted to know about label reading
•    Foods to avoid, cross contamination and hidden gluten
•    Sorting out the facts from common myths

This is great for people who are familiar with some of the basics but still have some questions.  It’s also a great opportunity to educate family and friends so they can support you better!

For more information, see http://www.harriswholehealth.com/services

Local Events:

DC Celiacs

Next Meeting Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010, 2:00–4:00 pm

Meeting Topic: Educating for Life.
Speaker: John Libonati, Glutenfreeworks.com

Vendor: Everybody Eats ( www.everybodyeats-inc.com )

Location: Bethesda Central Library
7400 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814
240-777-0970, (TTY: 301-657-0840)
Meeting room is to the left just after you enter the library doors, right before the parking kiosk.

Parking is available at the library.
Remember to enter your parking space number in the machine in the entryway, to avoid getting a ticket!
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Libraries/branchinfo/be.asp

Harris Whole Health offers individual sessions, family sessions and group classes to help people eat healthier and feel better!  Cheryl works with people to feel and look their best with a range of specialties, including Celiac Disease, food allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding, vegetarian and vegan diets, preventing diseases and “whole foods” eating.  Let’s get you on your way to achieving your goals. For an appointment with Cheryl Harris, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist, please click here to email or call 571-271-8742.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Can I just start by saying I was NOT baking when I was 17??? Or even 18. I would never have dreamed of something so elaborate, either! So kudos for Elissa for this great challenge.

Since mine was to be gluten-free, as usual, I ran into a few snags. First…my ice cream just wasn’t. In retrospect, that’s what happens when you skimp and use lite coconut milk, yes? Lesson learned, no further comment. Ugh.

Since I was ice cream less, I used homemade chocolate hazelnut spread and homemade raspberry jam.

And I used Carol Fenster’s Brown Butter Cake from her new book, 100 Best Gluten-free Recipes. It was lovely, fluffy, yummy and all things a cake should be, but not a good cake for petit fours. It was quite crumbly when I was cutting, and the edges weren’t at all smooth.

So this was a mixed success. I ended up with ONE petit four, which was a cutie, and was DH’s birthday cake (yay!). I also wasn’t able to complete this the way I wanted to, so I am resolved to make this again with another recipe and see how it goes.

Please see the other DB’s and their creations!

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

I was surprised to see Elana’s recipe for Vegan Herb Crackers, especially since I had been planning on posting mine this week! Upon looking at the recipes, they’re quite a bit different so I figured I’d go ahead and share them. These are delicious, and keep well for a few days (but only if they’re hidden so I can’t find them).  I really love the rich flavor and the hearty texture.  Like Elana’s, these are vegan, but mine use Salba seeds to boost omega 3 content.

The only drawback (which I find with all almond flour products) they are so dense and rich, I can’t have anything rich with them, and I usually make tiny crackers–maybe 1 inch by 2 inch.

I did not give exact cooking times because depending on how I roll them, there always seems to be a range despite my best efforts. I’ve rolled some thick and some thin to try to figure out which I prefer, and I must confess, the crackers disappear and I still haven’t made up my mind, so I’ll leave that important question for all of you to ponder.

3 tablespoons of water
2 teaspoons ground chia or Salba seed

1 cup blanched almond flour
1.5 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend (mine has rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram, etc.)
pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

Mix ground Salba with water, sit for 10 minutes. Combine almond flour through olive oil and preheat oven to 325. Thoroughly incorporate Salba gel, scoop into a ball and chill 5 minutes. Roll out very thinly between parchment paper or parchment and a Silpat. Cut into pieces with a pizza cutter and sprinkle with salt and pepper, pressing down slightly.

Bake until browning, peeking after 20 minutes and turning the cookie sheet if your oven is uneven like mine.

Cool and enjoy!

I’m submitting these yummies to Simply Gluten and Sugar Free’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, which are extravaganzas of great and inventive (healthier) treats.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

What a week.  I had a slew of birthdays to bake for so there were two mini-cakes (1 genoise, 1 chocolate) and meringue peeps.   I guess those babies aren’t in season either! And since I couldn’t eat any of the three, I made myself Sunbutter versons of Easier Easy Almond Cookies.  So yes, the pile of dishes in my kitchen is quite impressive and I’m going to have to deal with that ASAP.

Onward to the meal plan!

Monday:

Hummus and peppers–my very favorite-most easy meal

Tues:
Minty chicken with carrots

Weds:
Roasted rosemary and garlic salmon and roasted cauliflower

Thursday:
Chana masala with spinach (this is really pushing the envelope–DH dislikes chickpeas AND spinach, so we’ll see)

Friday:
Leftovers

Sweet treats:
My first go at the Daring baker challenge was technically a fail, so I’ll be redoing one of the elements.

And every one else?

Wendy of Celiacs in the House has a bunch of seasonal fruit desserts and the most lethal looking chocolate torte I have ever seen. No joke. Also, she’s got some nice gluten-free cosmetics, so check them out!

Heather, of Celiac Family has a bunch of seasonal veggies on the menu, such as green beans, tomatoes and more. Seven layer salad caught my eye because I haven’t had it in so long and it’s so yummy. She also has a nice review of animal crackers from last week that are just in time for back to school

Manda pops by to join us from Asparagus Thin. As always she has exotic fare, such as African style veggies, and I’ve never (in my 10 years as a dietitian) pondered precisely what food group alligator falls into until reading her post. I know it’s a protein, but…And Manda’s going though a lot, so send a little love her way.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

DH’s cake: (top) a genoise with raspberry filling and chocolate liquor ganache

Cathy’s cake:(below) Chocolate Cupcakes with chocolate frosting

And last but not least, peeps!  Actually, peep-ish meringues.  The inspiration was 
Heather’s duckies.  The birthday girl had inquired if it was possible to make natural peeps, and I had to think about it.  The answer, BTW, I believe is no.  I tried using the veggie food dyes, and the meringue peeps totally…de-peeped…into puddles.  I ended up caving on using the food dyes from the grocery store (you know, the ones with blue dye # whatever) and those worked well, as you can see!

So needless to say, there are an abundance of treats at the Casa de Harris.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Kim of Gluten Free is Life is the winner of the bottle of Salba.  Yay Kim!

I’m enjoying the journey through 100 Best GF Recipes by Carol Fenster.  I’ve made the cornbread and devil’s food cake cupcakes, and just made the crumb cake.  I couldn’t resist topping it with homemade raspberry jam right before the end, as you can see…  It was a great treat at brunch.

I still plan to make the butter cake and the molasses bread, but those will have to wait until next week.  And someone commented on the last post and said she hadn’t tried Cooking Free.  That is one of my favorite GF cookbooks, and is perfect for someone who is vegan or has other food restrictions.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

What a tasty week!  I received a copy of Carol Fenster’s 100 Best GF recipes and I’ve gone a wee bit overboard making them. I enjoyed 1000 GF recipes, but honestly, the book was so big it was a bit unwieldy.  This is…bite sized, shall we say?

I’ve also posted some thoughts on agave, since new research has come out.  In a nutshell, I’ll continue to use it but have been giving more thought to incorporating other sweeteners and using it less.  I’d love to get other thoughts.

This week’s theme is tomatoes, as chosen by Heather of Celiac Family.  Well, we’ve got some tomatoes, but not as many as usual, since the weather has been so erratic and I haven’t been on the ball.  However, I made Salsa mole (pictured above) with them just yesterday, and it’s so delicious this time of year.

Monday:

Salmon and peppers

Tues:
Quinoa Italiana

Weds:
Malaysian Curry, with a recipe from the Spice and Herb Bible

Thursday:
Lentil stew, which I’ll post soon

Friday:
Salsamole and crackers

Baked goods:
most likely, crumbcake and decadent chocolate cookies from Carol Fenster’s 100 GF recipes

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Okay, I admit, I’ve gotten carried away with Carol’s new book AND I’ve gotten a mess in the kitchen to prove it.  I’ve already made the cornbread and the Devil food cake as cupcakes, and the only reason I’ve been slowing down is that I ran out of sorghum flour!

I was so taken with the cupcakes because they looked JUST like the real thing, and the smell was just heavenly.  It’s so wonderful to be in a kitchen that smells like chocolate, isn’t it?  DH took a batch of 12 to his martial arts class, and there were 5 glutinovores present, including him.  And yet when I returned, there was just a crumb trail left and no cupcakes in sight.  I think that speaks for itself!  I did find that the recipe batter made more than 12 cupcakes, though.  I’d say it was closer to 16.

And if you do have the 1000 GF recipe books by Carol, check out the yellow cupcake recipe.  I think it was one of the quickest disappearing recipes I’ve ever made.

Cornbread overall is one of DH’s favorite foods, so I had to try it out!  I made it in cast iron skillet because I don’t have metal square pans, so that may have affected the time a bit. It was a little moister than the recipe we used to use, but we’ll be making it again soon for sure.

Stay tuned for decadent cookies and the crumb cake!  And I’ll also be giving away a bottle of Salba and picking a winner next Thursday.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Or at least that’s my theory, based on my observations thus far…of myself.

So, I plan to make at least 3 recipes from the book this week.  And I plan to give away a bottle of Salba, because she uses chia in at least one of the recipes. Salba and chia are great for you and fabulous vegan egg substitutes.

If you’d like to win, leave a comment by August 12th or share this giveaway on your blog/website.  And US only…the shipping charges get a bit excessive for something that weighs this much.

©2010 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.